Ahead of his Canadian Open campaign, Stefanos Tsitsipas talked about the changes to his team and how they helped him win the Los Cabos Open last week.
Tsitsipas recently rehired Mark Philippoussis as his coach, just months after initially parting ways with the Australian. In May, the Greek had announced that the decision to split with Philippoussis was mutual, and it was made with the view of having just “one coach that can provide all the information.” Stefanos Tsitsipas opted to stay with just his father Apostlos as his coach with the belief that “less is more.”
However, after his French Open and grasscourt campaign, the World No. 4 decided to rehire the Australian coach — with whom he first teamed up in 2020.
Philippoussis was seen with the Greek during his title run at the Los Cabos Open, where he defeated Alex de Minaur in the final. With that, Tsitsipas ended his 14-month title drought.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Canadian Open, the 24-year-old explained that he felt more “calm” and tranquil” following the changes to his coaching team.
“I think there’s one thing that I did pay attention to between the dynamic, is there’s much more tranquility and calmness in the air when I’m competing,” he said.
“[Philippoussis] is an incredible human being. He has helped me a lot. He has been there for me. Even when people didn’t see him around, he has been there behind closed doors on private. And he’s a big addition to our team,” he added.
The two-time Grand Slam runner-up, who often received backlash for his mother and father’s constant coaching during matches, admitted that parents can get emotional at times.
“You know, parents can get emotional sometimes, and I completely understand that,” he said.
Tsitsipas revealed that he will be letting his father take the back seat after 12 years of unceasing efforts.
“My father right now, I give him some time off. He hasn’t had time off since I’m 12 years old. So, I think for him, I think it’s very healthy to take some time away from the court and feel refreshed again,” he said.
“Of course, I love him and I want him to be part of that journey that we have built together. He’s not going anywhere. He’s still with us, and he’s still there following our path and journey,” the Greek further clarified.
Tsitsipas also said that he plans to be open-minded and wishes to constantly keep learning after going through phases of feeling “stagnant.”
“It’s a time to keep exploring new things. I’m open-minded and I want to learn as much as I can, and to maximize on my career because I have felt at times stagnant,” he noted.
“I have felt, you know, it’s a constant repetitive procedure that I’m going after every single time, and I really want to get to a new level where it kind of delivers a breath of fresh air to me,” he added.
Stefanos Tsitsipas to face Gael Monfils in Canadian Open 2023 opener
2018 Canadian Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas is gearing up for a clash with French veteran Gael Monfils in the second round of the 2023 event. The duo has clashed thrice before on tour, with the Greek winning two of the encounters.
The match with Monfils will be the World No. 4’s opening match at the tournament this year, having received a bye in the opening round.
Meanwhile, Monfils, who entered the tournament using a Protected Ranking, has booked his spot following a hard-fought victory over Wimbledon quarterfinalist Christopher Eubanks. The 36-year-old defeated the American 7-6(3), 6-7(4), 6-1.